UB Lecturers Process Palm Oil Waste into Renewable Energy, Organic Fertilizer, and Functional Honey

Palm oil is a palm oil-producing plant that can be used as raw material for various products. Such as food products, medicines, cosmetics, and energy sources. However, the industry from a plant called Latin elaeis guineensis produces waste in the form of empty oil palm fruit bunches (TKKS) which can pollute the environment.

According to the Professor of the Faculty of Animal Science, Universitas Brawijaya, Prof. M. Junus, EFB waste is organic waste that has the potential to be processed into raw material for biogas production. In addition, biogas installations produce organic sludge containing useful nutrients for the manufacture of agricultural and plantation fertilizers.

“Processing OPEFB from waste into a source of energy and organic fertilizer can improve environmental cleanliness while at the same time prospering farmers and ranchers.” explained Junus

Because Junus and his team of UB lecturers found the problem of the abundance of sludge and TKKS waste in the Karya Bangsa Multipurpose Cooperative (KSU), Deli Serdang, North Sumatra which had not been utilized. On the other hand, the farmers’ need for fertilizer is very high, but the price of fertilizer available at KSU Karya Bangsa is relatively expensive. Excessive use of chemical fertilizers can lead to depletion of nutrients in the soil, so that agricultural yields obtained are decreasing.

Therefore, the team led by Junus, consisting of Prof. Lilik Eka Radiati (F. Animal Husbandry), Dr. Sri Minarti (F. Animal Husbandry), Ir. Bambang Poerwadi, MS (F. Teknik), and AS Dwi Saptati Nur Hidayati, ST., MT (F.Teknik) made a solution to overcome this problem. How to provide assistance and socialization of biogas production and purification, development of NPK organic liquid fertilizer technology, pollen drying from biogas gas in the form of pollen powder, and processing of animal feed from palm oil and palm waste.

Junus and Bambang Poerwadi carried out the bio gas unit manufacturing activities on 11 – 26 November 2021. The series of bio gas units manufacturing include: (1.) Determination of the location of bio gas; (2.) Bio gas unit design; (3.) Manufacture of bio gas units; (4.) Production of bio gas; (5.) Bio gas unit leakage test; (6.) Bio gas unit pressure and flow rate test; (7.) Bio gas flame test; (8.) Bio gas content analysis test.

While the manufacture of organic NPK fertilizer was carried out by AS Dwi Saptati on 3-30 November 2021. Then a trial of palm oil processing waste for rabbit feed was carried out by Sri Minarti, 1-11 December 2021, followed by community service and socialization of the results of activities regarding animal feed technology from the waste of the bio gas unit (LUGB), 13-14 December 2021, the three are Deliserdang, Serdang Bedagai, and regional Stabat. Meanwhile, Lilik Eka Radiati made functional honey,12-21 November 2021. (dta)